Days needed to climb Aconcagua

How many days does it typically take to climb the Aconcagua?

18 to 20 days, Mendoza to Mendoza, for most teams on the Normal Route. The Polish Traverse from the Vacas valley takes a few days longer, and express plans for acclimatised climbers take 11 to 15.

The number comes from the altitude rule every doctor gives: above 3,000 m, don't raise the height you sleep at by more than about 500 m a night, and add rest days as you go (see the UIAA mountain medicine notes on Aconcagua). From Mendoza at about 750 m to the summit at 6,961 m, with camps at about 3,400, 4,300, 5,000, 5,500 and 6,000 m, that pattern alone fills two weeks. Add the approach, the descent and spare days for the viento blanco, and you reach 18 to 20.

Most outfitters plan 18 to 20 days. Longer plans are not wasted time: only around a third of people who attempt the summit reach it, and a flexible schedule with spare weather days makes the biggest difference.

What is a typical Aconcagua itinerary?

Two days to reach the park, three to base camp, about ten acclimatising between base camp and the high camps, a summit day, spare days for weather and two days out. The plan below is a common 19-day shape.

Every outfitter has its own version, and guides change it on the mountain according to the weather and how the group is acclimatising. Altitudes are rounded, and times are typical for a guided group.

How long is the trek to base camp?

Two walking days from Horcones to Plaza de Mulas at about 4,300 m, usually three with an acclimatisation day at Confluencia. The walk out takes one long day of about 8 hours.

The first day is the same as the Confluencia day hike: 3 to 4 hours up the Horcones valley to camp at about 3,400 m. Most teams then spend a day hiking to the Plaza Francia viewpoint and back to help their bodies adjust. The third day is the long one: 8 to 10 hours up the wide, stony Playa Ancha valley to Plaza de Mulas, with the mules carrying the heavy loads. Coming down, many hikers go from base camp to Horcones in a single day.

As a trek on its own, this is the 7-day long-trek permit: it must be done with a licensed provider that runs a camp, and trekkers may not go above 4,300 m. The permit rules are in Aconcagua permits and guides.

Can you climb Aconcagua in 12 days?

Only if you arrive already acclimatised, for example straight after another high peak. Express plans of 11 to 15 days exist, but most outfitters plan 18 to 20 days because most people need that time to adapt safely.

A 12-day plan cuts the acclimatisation and the spare days, which is exactly where most summit attempts are won or lost. It suits a fit climber who has just spent time above 5,000 m, such as on another Andean peak, and who accepts that bad weather may leave no second chance. For a first big mountain, a longer plan is the safer and usually the more successful choice.

The Normal Route expedition on GetYourGuide is a 12-day plan from Mendoza. It is a new listing with no reviews yet; it asks for excellent physical condition, asks you to arrive in Mendoza at least two days early and includes acclimatisation days. Ask the operator how many spare days are built in and whether the park permit is included.

How many days do you need in Mendoza for Aconcagua?

One full day for a day tour, two or three for the Confluencia hike with a warm-up day, and about three weeks in all for the summit, including at least two days in Mendoza before the expedition.

• Day tour to the viewpoint: one day, 10 to 12 hours. Keep a second day open in winter, when snow can close the road.
• Confluencia day hike: one day on the mountain, but plan two or three nights in Mendoza: a warm-up hike first, then the Confluencia day, with a spare day if the weather turns.
• 3-day Plaza Francia trek: about five days, with a day either side in Mendoza.
• 7-day base-camp trek: about nine days, including a gear check before and a day after.
• Summit expedition: 18 to 20 days on most plans, plus at least two days in Mendoza before (the GetYourGuide expedition asks for this) and a spare day after for flights.

Mendoza is where you rent gear, meet your outfitter and do the paperwork, so those days are not idle. Rest days after the mountain are a good time for the wineries, or a quiet afternoon on horseback in the foothills.

How can you see Aconcagua in 1 to 7 days?

In one day on a day tour or the Confluencia hike, in two to four days with a Cordón del Plata hike and the 3-day Cerro Penitentes ascent, and in a week on the base-camp trek.

One day: the high mountain day tours drive to the Aconcagua viewpoint and back; the private Confluencia hike walks into the park to the first camp on the summit route. Two to four days: a day in the Cordón del Plata, such as the Cordón del Plata hike with 4 to 6 hours on foot in the Vallecitos area, is a good test of how you handle altitude. The Cerro Penitentes ascent takes 3 days to a 4,351 m summit with a view of Aconcagua's South Face: a modest climb and a real first Andean summit.

A week: the 7-day trek to Plaza de Mulas base camp with a licensed provider, or the 3-day Plaza Francia trek plus a few days of hiking around Mendoza. How these compare in effort is in how hard it is to hike Aconcagua, and the day options are side by side on the homepage.

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How long should you train for Aconcagua?

About six months for the summit, building from regular endurance training to long hill days with a heavy pack and, ideally, a trip above 5,000 m. For the Confluencia hike, four to eight weeks of regular hill walking is enough for most people.

• 6 to 4 months before: build a base with three or four sessions a week: hill walking, running or cycling, and leg strength.
• 4 to 2 months before: long hill days of 6 to 8 hours with a pack of 15 to 20 kg, on back-to-back weekends.
• Last 2 months: altitude experience if you can get it, such as a peak above 5,000 m, and practice walking in crampons.
• Final 2 weeks: ease off, rest, and arrive in Mendoza healthy.
• For the treks: regular walks of several hours on hills, with the boots you will wear.

Fitness does not protect you from altitude sickness, but it lets you enjoy the long days and recover between them. The Cordón del Plata and Frontal Andes hikes near Mendoza make good final warm-ups once you arrive.

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